Make Your Own Breakfast Braid & Save A Little ‘Dough’!

Fruit-filled breakfast braids are available in the freezer section of your grocery store. They are rich, fragrant, and yes, just plain decadent. The fruit filling and sweet dough blend to make a sumptuous treat on any breakfast or buffet table.

They  are also …. expensive! These braids are easy to make yourself with frozen puff pastry dough. The cost will be a fraction of the ready-made braids. You will end up with more servings, a braid a bit more fresh than the frozen variety, and of course, less expensive.

Try out the recipe and venture into some of your own filling combinations. Cream cheese and chocolate chips with nuts, orange marmelade and mandarin oranges, the combinations are endless!

1, 14 ounce box frozen puff pastry dough

3 ounces softened cream cheese (I use fat-free)

1/3 cup raspberry jam

4 ounces fresh raspberries

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Thaw pastry in refrigerator overnight. Spread the two sheets out side-by-side on a large pieces of parchment paper.  Roll both pieces to become one that measures 18 x 13 and uniform thickness. The less you work the dough the better. Push down gently when you roll it out. If your rolling-pin sticks sprinkle powder sugar lightly on dough.

Move dough and parchment paper to baking sheet. Spread cream cheese evenly down the middle third of the rolled dough, spreading gently.

Top with raspberry jam and also spread evenly. Dot with fresh raspberries.

Using pastry wheel cut in from each side 1/3 of the distance toward the middle of your dough. Starting at one side life one cut piece of cut dough to center at an angle. Move to other side and lift one piece of cut dough to center. Continue to lift dough to center, alternating side from side, creating a braid effect.Press edges at top and bottom to seal and crimp with fork. Brush with beaten egg and dust with 2 tablespoons white sugar. Bake 375 degrees for about 14 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool and slice to enjoy!

Raspberry jelly and fresh raspberries may be substituted with your favorite fruit!